SUSPENDED: Prospect Park Announces Suspension Of Effort To Bring ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE Online

Prospect Park has released a statement saying the efforts to create online versions of ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN were being suspended saying it was "now becoming clear that mounting issues make our ability to meet our deadlines to get OLTL on the air in a reasonable time period following its January 13, 2012 ABC finale impossible." The decision comes after Prospect Park principals Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz spent the past few months trying to shore up financial backing for their Online TV Network, secure the talent and writers from the departing ABC series as well as agreements with the unions.

After five months of negotiations with various guilds, hundreds of presentations to potential financial and technology partners, and a hope that we could pioneer a new network for the future, it is with great disappointment that we are suspending our aspirations to revive “One Life to Live” and “All My Children” via online distribution. It is now becoming clear that mounting issues make our ability to meet our deadlines to get OLTL on the air in a reasonable time period following its January 13, 2012 ABC finale impossible.

We believed the timing was right to launch an Online TV Network anchored by these two iconic soap operas, but we always knew it would be an uphill battle to create something historical, and unfortunately we couldn’t ultimately secure the backing and clear all the hurdles in time. We believe we exhausted all reasonable options apparent to us, but despite enormous personal, as well as financial cost to ourselves, we failed to find a solution.

While we narrowed in on a financial infrastructure, the contractual demands of the guilds, which regulate our industry, coupled with the program’s inherent economic challenges ultimately led to this final decision. In the end, the constraints of the current marketplace, including the evolution and impact of new media on our industry simply proved too great a match for even our passion.

In our opinion, new models like this can only work with the cooperation of many people striving to make them happen, and we would like to thank and praise the numerous people who tried to help and showed us incredible support. We are extremely grateful to the fans and media who showed great support to us through this process, to ABC who did everything in their control to help, and we are especially grateful for the support and encouragement from many of the Soaps’ cast and crew themselves.

The statement comes just days after ONE LIFE TO LIVE wrapped production on the ABC version of the show that will supposedly now go out with a cliffhanger like AMC.

“I am sorry they had to give up the intent to put it on and I’m very grateful to Rich and Jeff for their efforts," Agnes Nixon said, "but I know that no matter what happens, there is still much story to be told in both ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN, and in my heart, I believe, it may still be told. And I’d love to be part of the telling. I’m also grateful to [OLTL executive producer] Frank Valentini and the cast and crews. But more than anyone to our fans who have been so loyal and who are a part of our big family.”

What do you think about the news as well as the timing of the announcement?

17 comments:

This is terrible news! I am very sad. I have watched both of these soaps almost since day one and DVR them every day and are a highlight of my day. Is there no way to make it happen? These are the ONLY two soaps I have ever watched. All the shows I watch are going, or gone, Oprah, the soaps, Desperate Housewives, omg, not a happy person :(

This news is terrible! ABC cancels both the soaps, then we fans get all happy for it to be bought, and then it gets cancelled again. I know it isn't completely PP's fault. Now AMC is completely over with a cliffhanger ending. Let's just hope that OLTL doesn't end the same way (although it probably will.)

It's getting to a point where the unions are pricing themselves out of the market and everyone is paying for it. The world is taking a paycut and at some point so must Hollywood if they are going to survive these times.

I just can't believe this! It is such a horrible situation knowing that we will never see these soaps again. What really makes me sad is that all those amazing actors have to look for other employment; new shows, new roles, and we, the fans, will miss them all SO MUCH! I am going to keep my ears and eyes peeled looking for some these fabulous stars hoping to see them again somewhere. Thank goodness, Debbie Morgan at least got a role on the Y&R. I love her acting, but this whole thing is SUCH A SHAME! I miss AMC every day and hope and pray that they leave my other favourite soap alone, The Young and The Restless. Don't touch that one, please!!!!!

I have been watching AMC,OLTL andGH from the beginning. I am so depressed that you are not renewing my shows. For people like me, these shows were part of my daily life.ABC should. E ashamed of themselves.

I guess that have found yet another way to pull the rug out from under the soaps. First the are going to save them, now they have no money. Maybe NBC will take them. I hear that Oprah's network is not doing so good, maybe we should bug her. She would have build in viewers.

so depressed over this news.. The soaps are the only thing worth watching on TV these days especially these ones which we have been watching for years..so wrong to cancel them and its all ABC's fault. I hope they are happy cause their network won't survive now cause so many viewers have blocked their network from their television. DO the right thing ABC & PP and sell the soaps to a network who does want them. Agnes Nixon, the cast/crew and viewers deserve better

It annoys me that Prospect Park is blaming the unions for their failure to complete a deal when apparently Prospect Park never had a significant level of financing. The fact that they chose to announce the suspension of their efforts on the Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving is very telling too since that is usually a quiet news day. The reality is that Prospect Park prematurely announced that they were debuting at least one show in January when they never had the funding to move forward. They should never have toyed with the emotions of soap fans in this manner.

This does not surprise me at all. From the moment I heard about this, I never thought it would come to fruition. It never made sense to me how they would pay for it, how they would make money. The shame is that it robs fans of true endings. A good soap ending like Search for Tomorrow or Edge of Night would have been great for these two.

If you don't belong to "Save AMC and OLTL" on facebook, please join. We need to not give up. We also need to demand to ABC (at least try) that they give the fans an ending for both shows in case they are over. This Facebook page gives fans things to do to try to save our soaps. She has excellent ideas and the phone numbers and emails of executives who can make it happen.

If you don't belong to "Save AMC and OLTL" on facebook, please join. We need to not give up. We also need to demand to ABC (at least try) that they give the fans an ending for both shows in case they are over. This Facebook page gives fans things to do to try to save our soaps. She has excellent ideas and the phone numbers and emails of executives who can make it happen.

This is such sad news, especially the timing on Thanksgiving Eve. No thanks to Prospect Park & Brian Frons who caused this whole mess. Many Thanks to the wonderful Agnes Nixon & the amazingly talented casts & crews of AMC & OLTL who provided many years of enjoyment!! I'll be looking for many of them to turn up on other shows & webseries. BOYCOTT ALL PROSPECT PARK PROJECTS!!

This is terrible news...the fans have had the rug pulled out from under them twice..I have watched AMC for most of its 41 years and I miss it ......why did PP go thru with this and get the fans excited when they didn't have the money to follow thru...ABC, you've ticked off a lot of your viewers (former viewers now)......NBC needs to pick the shows up...at least they would have the means ( money ) to do it..

This is very disappointing but not surprising. What really happened we will never know. I do believe Prospect Park had great intentions but how realistic was it to bring on two shows to the internet. Where was the money coming from since it costs millions to produce even with pay cuts from the actors.

Something seemed wrong when many actors had not been contacted, the various unions still had no agreements and perhaps one of the biggest warnings no Susan Lucci. Despite all the gossip she is the one star who has remained true to daytime other than maybe Erika Sleazak who though an amazing actress never had the cache of Lucci.

Unless OLTL predicted there may be a problem and shot multiple endings including one that ties up the pieces this does not bode well for the OLTL finale. If ABC had any class they would pay to reshoot some scenes.

As for AMC they could do a prime time special. I realize money is an issue and some actors contractually may not be able to participate ie. Angie and JR plus the sets are gone. They could focus on close ups, hospital scenes - there are hospitals all over tvland or borrow GH and redecorate, JR could be killed in a police shoot out and Angie taken to the morgue. They could tie up the show with the ùmartins reunited, Stuart and Marion, Adam and Brooke and Erica and Jack could get married in an Erica planned wedding to do a fundraiser for children (all my children) and they could invite former AMC stars to atend the fundraiser as well as other entertainment stars with all the money really going to charity in real life. It would be a fast wedding but nevertheless it could be done. There could be built in nostalgia with all the characters looking atheir past and making a poignant speech as they give their donation in memory of...Kate, Myrtle, Palmer, Phoebe and those who have gone before them. Of course the final line has to go to Erica. FRANKLY WORLD I DO CARE, I AM ERICA KANE!!!! As she goes into the sunset with Jackson

I am so very very sad. I watched OLTL everyday after work. I enjoyed the storylines and characters. Why can't it go to SOAPNET until something else is worked out? Please tell viewers what we can do to try to revive this show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe there's no one in the 1% who can be a "job creator" (or perhaps "job sustainer") and keep these shows going. So many actors, writers, technicians will be out of work. And we fans will be miserable!!